Fats have been positively linked to numerous degenerative diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease, but a number of common ailments can also be attributed to a high-fat consumption. It is, however, not only the quantity of fat that is implicated in disease, but also the type of fat. In countries where fat consumption is low, the incidence of degenerative diseases is far lower than in Western countries with their high-fat consumption. The Japanese have a fat intake of only 10%-20% of their food intake and they do not seem to suffer from the diseases prevalent in Western society, and also seem to enjoy greater longevity of life. This phenomenon is definitely linked to their lifestyle, because Japanese communities that have adopted Western lifestyles suffer from the same diseases that are prevalent in these societies. Different fatty acids exert different effects, and though research into the role of fatty acids in disease causation is still in its infancy, some information is available. Precisely how fatty acid imbalances cause disease, is unknown, but because they are incorporated into cell membranes, changes in dietary intake of fatty acids can cause changes in membrane fluidity, responses to outside signals such as hormones, binding of ligands (ie, lipoproteins) to their membranes, lipid mediators of the intracellular signalling cascade (ie, inositol triphosphat, prostaglandin, and leukotrine production). Moreover, the oxidation products of fatty acids can cause damage and even cell death.6
